Instructor Chris explained that since most of the students were still unfamiliar with the grounds and with one another, the training had been designed primarily for observation and evaluation. Each day's activities would begin at 11:00 a.m., as the Academy enforced a strict curfew between 6:00 p.m. and 10:00 a.m., during which students were required to remain in their assigned rooms.
According to Chris, the instructors had no intention of forcing anyone to participate; however, attendance at every session was mandatory. The first portion of the training day would focus on physical conditioning, where students would be assessed through endurance runs, agility drills, reflex tests, and obstacle courses intended to reveal their baseline physical capabilities.
Once that session concluded, the students would proceed to Ability observation exercises, where each individual would demonstrate and practice their powers under controlled conditions.
After a short intermission, the afternoon would transition into combat and practical application, during which students would engage in supervised sparring matches, reaction drills, and small-scale battle scenarios designed to test how effectively they could utilize their abilities under pressure.
He maintained a smile throughout the explanation, which Cloud found rather unsettling, as he could not understand why the man never stopped smiling. Either he genuinely enjoyed observing the new students, or he was simply unsettling by nature.
Occasionally, Cloud glanced at the blind girl, whose attention did not seem directed toward the announcement, at least judging by how she showed no reaction, nor was her head turned toward the source of the voice.
Not to be rude or discriminatory, but realistically she could not participate in the training.
Her attendance would likely be useless as she probably would not even be able to see what was happening. Once again, he could only pity her situation.
How would she survive the days ahead if she actually managed to secure her admission?
The mature and handsome instructor, however, was still speaking.
"For your information, all activities will conclude before the 6:00 p.m. curfew, after which students are expected to return to their rooms to rest and prepare for the following day. Since the cafeteria is unavailable to you all for the time being, food will be delivered during breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
"Of course, if you are fond of snacks, the lobby here offers a grand variety of them, as well as a place to relax. You are free to be here at any time of the day, but not during curfew. That is all I have to say. You may encounter me here quite often, as I will be your main guardian counselor."
Out of the blue, he vanished from the spot as if he had never been there, just as suddenly as he had appeared. Cloud, however, did not particularly care about the instructor's Ability. Instead, he was far more interested in the final piece of information regarding food.
That was his key survival method for the week.
Since he had not yet been recognized as a full student, he had not received the incentives granted to a Special Student. There were nine others like him, though he currently had no idea who they were among the numerous students present.
Sooner or later, however, he would find out, and surely they would be receiving the same privileges as him.
Perhaps they had also awakened powerful Abilities.
Not that it mattered to him.
If anything, he possessed just as many advantages as they did, and in a prestigious Awakened Academy like this, there was bound to be a hierarchy among the students. Fortunately for him, he would never be associated with those at the bottom of the food chain. The brief training schedule introduced for the week was somewhat intriguing, but it did nothing to change his decision not to participate.
In reality, everyone here stood in the same position. If matters were handled fairly, none of these students possessed any information about what the Academy's entrance test would entail, meaning they were all on equal footing. All things considered, it would most likely involve combat, judging from the training that had been implemented. Therefore, he would need to concentrate on improving his knowledge and mastery of the Devouring Combustion skill. That could only be achieved through real battle experience, which he obtained daily from the Devouring Crown.
That was the only card he could play for now. Ignivar had not granted him anything new, nor had the other two dragons even seemed to acknowledge his existence.
Cloud exhaled softly and looked at the sightless girl in front of him.
"So you were about to tell me your Ability."
Mireille's attention immediately returned to Cloud. Her ears followed the sound of his voice before her pale eyes settled in his direction once again.
"Yes. It is… Death."
Her voice softened the moment she uttered the word death, though her expression remained unchanged. Even so, she had already prepared herself for the usual reaction. Most people distanced themselves the instant they heard of such an ability.
Cloud, however, was stunned.
"...D-death? Huh? I have never heard of an Ability like that. Do you mean Necromancy? I mean, Death sounds a little excessive, but…"
His gaze drifted over her figure. Truthfully, the girl resembled a well fed walking corpse. Her frail body and lifeless eyes completed the impression. From a distance, her beauty would likely draw the attention of many handsome young men, but approaching her would immediately destroy any romantic notions. She looked like a living corpse. If not for the snacks in front of her, he would never have approached her in the first place.
He groaned inwardly.
'Damn you, Cloud. If she intended to kill you, you would have been easy prey. Your survival instincts seem to vanish whenever food is involved.'
Obviously. What a food addict.
Still, that was not the main point of this encounter with an actual… human?
She was speaking, breathing, and alive, so she was human. Right!?
Even so, Cloud was not certain an Ability called Death even existed. If it did, it would encompass everything related to Necromancy and perhaps far more. It would be far more powerful than any elemental Ability. Unlike fire or ice, Death governed the end of life, decay, and the boundary between the living world and the afterlife. In essence, it explained the chilling aura surrounding her and perhaps even the strange attraction of wandering souls toward her.
This was a Rare Tier Ability.
Cloud studied her carefully.
'Could she be one of the top ten special students? That seems likely. This ability is unheard of, just like mine. But I am certain I never saw or heard of anyone awakening such an Ability during the ceremony.'
Or perhaps she had simply not been in the same stadium as Cloud, since the Awakening ceremony was conducted across multiple locations around the world. Furthermore, if the blind girl truly belonged among the top ten special students, then it was possible the others had also awakened Rare Tier abilities.
Calling such powers merely Rare Tier almost felt like an understatement simply because they were unheard of. The power scaling was completely absurd, though Cloud could somewhat relate. After all, none of them yet understood the full extent of their abilities, so every assumption ultimately led back to the same conclusion. Besides, Ability Tier rankings were not permanent, much like Hunter rankings. A Hunter's grade determined how much stronger their Ability could become and how far they themselves could grow.
A possible re awakening.
Cloud decided it would be wiser not to involve himself with others just yet, at least not during this week. He rose to his feet, preparing to leave, then cast the quiet blind girl one final glance.
"Mireille, right? Well, I will see you around. I cannot really talk much since I have places to be. A very busy person, so yeah…"
He scowled, cutting himself off.
'Shut up! I have already started blabbering like an idiot again. This is not me. Damn it, if I had kept it short, I would have sounded really cool, like those main characters in anime. Pssh. I ruined the opportunity. Fuck. Stop thinking, too!'
The sightless girl inclined her head toward him, her solemn expression unchanged.
"See?"
Cloud's eyes shrank.
Shit. He had used a word that did not even apply to her. Again.
That had not been his intention… no!
Fortunately, she did not seem to react beyond that.
"Sure. I suppose we will catch up later, whenever you are… uh… free. Good luck, Cloud. I am happy to meet you as a possible new friend."
Happy!? Not at all. She did not seem happy in the slightest. If anything, her face looked completely blank.
He winced.
'Well, who would be all sunshine and smiles when b… No, not again. I need to get out of here.'
***
Some time later, Cloud returned to his room. He unloaded the snacks, juice boxes, and bottles of water he had stacked in his tracksuit earlier, the excessive load having made walking difficult and turned him into the center of attention in the lobby.
What a shameless peasant!
The young man began stuffing his mouth with food again. He wanted to eat enough before entering the Box to face the Devouring Crown for today's training. Perhaps he might even land a lucky strike this time. One thing was certain, though. He would return with more scars and burns.
It was strange that he could still move around freely despite the constant pain. The only thing concealing the wounds was his clothing. Fortunately, his face had never been scarred, since he always made sure to protect it first.
Using the Devouring Combustion skill consumed a large amount of Mana, but he could recover what he lost simply by resting. Mana existed everywhere in the world, so anyone who had awakened a Mana Core could absorb it as naturally as breathing.
His other stats were a different story, however. Especially his health. In that regard, the young man was in terrible condition, and at this rate every battle was pushing him closer to death.
It was truly suicidal training.
After eating his fill, he leaned back against the couch and rested for a moment. His gaze drifted toward the blue sky beyond the glass wall.
A wistful look crossed his face.
"It is about time we meet again, you damn lizard. Gods… I might actually end up dead before this week is over."